28 January 2014

Yes, we have snow and not even that is deterring Jack and what is now the cone of athleticism. I gave up trying to keep him from running on day two and, after today's check up, it seems it's doing him no harm. The vet just shrugged when I told him. Snippet seems to think they can still fight and has to be told off for doing so. Who, me?

I noticed this Cladonia lichen with orange rather than red 'flowers'. I've never seen it like this and since it's on one of my regular routes, I must keep checking it to see if it stays orange or reverts to red.

One of those lone escapees from Fernworthy Forest:

A little snow settled in the distance:

Trigger still seems to be finding grass in the little paddock here but is at last eating some hay at night. It's been a cheap winter for me in that respect; only one bale so far.

Ponies sheltering from the wind that blew the snow from all but the most sheltered bits of the moor:

I have recently taken possession of my first smart phone. I've been resisting it but, after the two weeks we spent without a land line with me relying on a mobile that doesn't work in the house and standing out in the rain on the compost heap to make calls, I found my old phone was wanting in many areas. The most serious of these is the fact that, if you have to press keys during a call as you get given infuriating options, the virtual keyboard doesn't work and you are left unable to contact any of the companies responsible for the lack of phone line. The point of telling you this, is that I decided to do the RSPB garden bird survey on it on Sunday and it worked so well and was so easy. I'm a convert, having said to the woman on the phone a week ago that I would probably never use the internet. I feel like an idiotic teenager as I stand in the kitchen checking my email. I even wrote the first paragraph of this post with it but the lack of apostrophe and other punctuation was irritating me too much to go on. I usually do the survey and then forget to look at any results so I must try and remember this year. I had the camera out too.....

On Saturday, we got the Polo back after nearly four weeks in the garage. That afternoon, we were filling it up with diesel when a hearse pulled up next to it, opened the immense driver's side door, which caught the wind and smashed into the Polo's front wing, leaving a large dent. This car is jinxed I swear. I have spent over three hours over the last few days on the phone to the insurance company and many other people who thought it would be a good idea for two people to come and pick the Polo up and drive it back to Exeter, 25 miles away. Then a strange man from a hire company would come and pick me up, drive me to Newton Abbot, 20 miles away to sign the paperwork for the hire car which I would then drive home. A complete waste of time and fuel to be repeated when the car is mended. Luckily I spoke to a sensible woman at the hire place who said they have a depot 200 yards from the garage in Exeter. I can drive the Polo to the garage and walk up the road to the hire place. Simple.....I hope. We'll see on Thursday. I can't believe we're losing the Polo AGAIN. Incidentally, the hearse was empty of coffins at the time of the incident!

Rant over - sorry. Welcome to two more followers as we edge further towards 100. I think I should do some sort of giveaway when and, more importantly, if it happens. I'll have a think. So until next time, here are the boys looking at Kestor. Only six more days with the cone.....

24 January 2014

Yesterday was B-day for Jack. Delivered to the vet's in Okehampton at 8.30am and picked up again at 2.00, a limp rag who had to be carried to the car and who slept the rest of the day. When I gave him to the nurse and we were going through the pre-op checks, she looked at him and said:

"They are very big for a dog of his size"

Here they are, VERY BIG, in full flight the day before the snip:

This morning he was back to normal but extremely unhappy about the cone:

He has to stay on his lead out walking:

Ten days of this.....

He is NOT happy.

He will be soon and he was the day before yesterday:

I love this gaping rock mouth:

Some farmers are already putting their sheep back out on the moor:

It's just REALLY dank here. The washing line has looked like this for what feels like weeks:

Sodden Hornbeam leaves:

The birds are really hungry. It's the RSPB garden bird survey this weekend....I must remember to do it. Here's a pretty little Dunnock:

The proofs of the cards arrived yesterday and two are fantastic (Magpies and the hole in the wall) and the others will be with some tweaking and borders. The Rainbow Sheep almost look like a painting which I was worried about at first but the more I look at it, the better I like it. So, until next time, here's the eunuch after a walk in the rain; he seems to have picked up a piece of leaf, at least I hope it's leaf.....

20 January 2014

Apologies for the break in transmission. VERY busy week what with constant chasing of the phone company - we had no land line for over two weeks - pointless physio appointment and ferrying my mum around and visiting her pretty much every day. The Gabapentin for my back pain is making me feel seasick but that's getting better as I get more used to it. I've been sporadic visiting those of you with blogs too. More apologies.

This post is extremely heavy on the pictures, so I'll try and be succinct with the words. I notice, looking through them, that we've actually had quite a lot of sunshine this week. Why does it not feel like it? In chronological order..........

The Dartmoor Madams looking pleased to see Trigger approaching:

Burning the gorse after cutting close to the Round Pound:

An encounter with a Staffie whose owner seemed to think letting it run around trying to steal picnicking walker's sandwiches and chasing Jack and Snippet whilst standing talking on her mobile for several minutes was responsible behaviour. In the end I had to shout at her to call it as it refused to leave us alone:

Lone stone:

Back to the wind but enjoying the sun:

Dogs in grass:

Massive clouds, dwarfing the moor:

A lone Rowan in the shelter belt:

Life changing lead arrangement. allowing me to have pony in one hand, dogs in the other:

Fabulous rainbows:

Blue Tits on the feeder at last. They, like the Nuthatches, have learnt to tap on the plastic to release the last few seeds. They are the only two species to have mastered it so far:

Frosty grass sparkling in the morning sun:

Trigger and friends. He's always happy to come home to food and hay:

Furry foal trying to hide behind a rock:

These two Rowans stand alone by the road:

Strange ice formations on the road:

Jack basking in the sun from our only South facing window in the kitchen:

View from Trigger's paddock:

Today I found many more ponies than I've seen in months......

.....Including the beautiful foal we named Tornado back in July. This is what he looked like then:

And this is him now. Hmmm..........I'm saying nothing.

Snippet enjoyed playing with him:

He got bored.......

......and joined a more suitable friend:

The Robin is enjoying the seed feeder:

So are the Great Tits at last:

Competing with the sparrows:

I'm really getting somewhere with the card printing at last. The company in Cornwall who never answered my emails have done some fantastic proofs for me now and will be sending samples out tomorrow I hope. I will never go near Next again after weeks of wrangling over the fact that they printed the Rainbow Sheep photo with roller lines all over them and then tried to say the lines were in the scan....which they're not. So much for having them ready for Christmas; perhaps for Easter? I'm really excited about what they've achieved with the drawings - they look fantastic in the proofs.

The Tourettes meeting yesterday was less well attended than the Christmas party, but OB enjoyed seeing some of his friends. He has a nasty head wagging tic at the moment which is giving him headaches poor love. It will pass, only to be replaced by something else, but we hope something less painful and easier to disguise at school for him. So, until next time, here is a photo I love for it's complete lack of focus, taken in the early morning sunshine. Hope you all had a good weekend.